Improvement in rotary steam-engines



w. c, STILES Rotary Steam-Engines.

Patented April 29, I873.

Witnesses wheel.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM C. STILES, OF NEVADA CITY, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY STEAM-ENGINES.

I Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,352, dated April 29, 1873 application filed December 4, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. STILEs, of Nevada City and county, State of California, have invented an Improved Rotary Steam-Engine; and I do hereby declare the following description and accompanying drawing are sufficient to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which it most nearly appertains to make and use my said invention or improvement without further invention or experiment.

The object of my invention is to simplify and improve the rotary steam-engine by constructin gitin a simple and economical manner, while, at the same time, much of the friction consequenton the ordinary construction is avoided.

In order to explain my invention so that others will be able to understand its construction and operation, reference is had to the accompanyin g drawing forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my engine. Fig. 2 is a section of the cylinder.

A represents a strong wheel or disk, which may be made of wood or metal, and which is mounted upon ahorizontal shaft, B. This wheel or disk can be made in one solid plate, or in two or more parts, as hereinafter described; or, if desired, the central portion can. be made with spokes in the manner of an ordinary spoke- In the present instance the wheel is represented as being constructed of two disks, which are secured upon the shaft B close together, so as to confine the outer rim (3 between them. The outer rim 0 is made in sections, and each of these sections has a piston, e, secured to it, so that when the sections are secured between the two disks so as to form a continuous rim the pistons will be equidistant apart. The sections of the rim are secured be tween the disks, so thata small space is left between them to allowfor expansion when they are heated. I is a bridge or elevated rim, which is properly secured at one side of the wheel A, and serves to support the cylinder G. The cylinder is a hollow section of a ring of the desired length, and has a longitudinal slot extending its entire length through the middle of its curved under side. The cylinder is secured to the bridge or support F at any convenient point, and in the proper position to allow the outer edge of the rim 0 to fit in the slot. Now, it is evident that as the wheel re volves the edge of its outer rim will move continually in the slot while the pistons 0 will be carried through the cylinder, entering at one end and passing out at the other. make a tight joint upon each side of the rim where it passes through the slot, a thin sheet of metal or other yielding material, 8, which is wider than the edge of the rim, is secured to the edge between the pistons, so that the pressure of the steam in the cylinder will press it down upon the bottom of the cylinder on each side so as to overlap and pack the opening. The pistons 0 must be made to fit the interior of the cylinder, and in the present instance, as the interior cross-section of the cylinder is represented as square, the pistons are shown as being square also; but in order to secure another advantage-to be herein after describ edthey are secured to the rim with two opposite corners in line with the rim, so as to present a double-inclined plane or wedge whichever way the wheel be turned. The outside edges of the pistons are properly packed to form a steamtight j oint. Two abutments, K K, are arranged to slide in opposite directions acrqss the end of the cylinder and meet midway across it, and friction-rollers O are mounted on the outside of their meeting ends, so that when the doubleinclined planes of the pistons strike them the abutments are forced apart so as to admit the pistons, and are immediately closed behind them by springs 19.

The wheel can be driven in either direction according to which end the abutments are placed. Generally, abutments will be arranged at both ends, but the pair at the exhaust end of the cylinder will be left separated, so as not to act until they are required. Steam is admitted into the cylinder just behind the abutments and works by expansion to drive the wheel, while it is exhausted freely as the piston leaves the open end of the cylinder.

By this means I produce a rotary steam engine of exceedingly simple and cheap construction which will work with little friction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1: The wheel A with its sectional rim 0 and pistons e, constructed and arranged substan= tially as and for the purpose above described.

2. The wheel 0 with its pistons e, in combi= In order to.

nation with the cylinder G, when said cylinder is applied to the whole or only a portion of the rim, in the manner and for the purpose substantiallydescribed.

3. The cylinder G with its abutments K K and longitudinally-slotted bottom, in combination with the sectional rim 0 and pistons e, substantially as and for the purpose above described.

4. The thin metal edge-strips s, in combinanation with the wheel 0, constructed as described, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal.

WILLIAM G. STILES. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

L. W. WILLIAMS, J. B. J OHNSON. 

